ELDERLY PARENTS WITH AN INTELLECTUALLY DISABLED CHILD : FACTORS AFFECTING PERMANENCY PLANNING

Abstract

This study has been designed to explore the permanency planning attitude and behaviour of elderly parents, pertaining to the future of their intellectually disabled (ID) adult-offspring. In view of the importance of permanency planning, it is therefore the central aim of this research to look into the multitudinous factors that affect the parents' propensity to make permanency plans for their ID adult-children. A qualitative exploratory research design has been adopted, wherein a comparative study would be made between two groups of elderly parents, who have been categorised in accordance to their educational levels. The five main domains of planning to be investigated would be: residential security, physical care, financial security, legal security as well as the socio-emotional security of the ID adult. Parents who are higher educated have been found to be better able to ensure the future security of their ID offspring in the financial and residential aspects. Relatively, their lower educated counterparts, however, were affronted with greater difficulties in their planning process, which thereby calls to attention the necessity of professional assistance. Having unearthed a multitude of objective and subjective factors that influence the permanency planning by these elderly parents, thence it is hoped that a greater research would be generated. As such, being equipped with a greater understanding of the difficulties and supportive factors encountered by the parents, service providers might then be better able to help them in making early and realistic plans for the ID adults.